I could have sworn the BBC did an animated version(in the early days of Flash!), about 2003 or so.

There used to be a site where someone typed up the transcripts of every 'lost' episode, and included 'Shada', with the 'unfilmed' scenes posted in red type to set them off from what had been completed. The story just isn't that good, as about halfway through, it turns into another of those 'latter-year Tom Baker ones where everybody runs down corridors on a spaceship.' Unfortunate that Douglas Adams took it in that direction, because they made good use of Cambridge for the location work(just about eveything shot there is what exists of the story, with no studio work).

just about eveything shot there is what exists of the story, with no studio work

The first of what should have been three studio sessions was completed before the strike hit. One of the problems with previous attempts to present Shada is that there's less and less completed footage as the story progresses. Animation is probably the best option available to produce something that remains watchable.

Animated versions have appeared twice before. In 2003, Big Finish produced an audio version with Paul McGann and Lalla Ward. BBCi released it with animation. You can find it here.

In 2010, Ian Levine funded an animated version to complete the original script. Original actors returned, if possible, to voice the characters, but Paul Jones voiced the Tom Baker Doctor, and John Leeson replaced David Brierley as K-9.

While the animation is somewhat lacking in both versions, I did enjoy the Levine version more when I saw it a few months ago.

It's probably just me, but I can't muster up enthusiasm for some things in the Who universe. I have zero interest in Big Finish's CDs, even though some stories feature the original cast (i.e. Tom Baker or Sylvester McCoy). Just doesn't appeal to me at all. Nor do animated recreations of missing episodes.

I wish I knew why. I like non-canonical works for other franchises. I've listened to STAR TREK audiobooks and read STAR TREK comics. I listened to the BBC serials for Superman and Batman back in the early 90s. And I am looking forward to Big Finish's release of new CAPTAIN SCARLET tales.

But for DR WHO, I am interested ONLY in the TV series. And when it comes to missing episodes, I'd rather let my imagination do the work than see animated recreations.

Shada used to be like a holy grail to me. My brother had a big poster/chart on our bedroom wall in late 1979/early 1980 from Dr Who magazine that listed all the Doctors, their years and every episode. For Tom Baker, it included all the episodes in the season that was then airing... including the scheduled but not yet broadcast Shada. There was a strike at the Beeb that had delayed its completion, but we patiently waited and waited. And it never came, of course.

Then in 1983 there was a tantalising glimpse of the footage that had been shot for Shada used to cover Tom Baker's non-involvement in The Five Doctors. It looked wonderful!

So, a while back I bought the VHS which included all the existing footage with narration from Tom Baker to fill in the gaps... And it was more than a little disappointing. Whisper it, Im not sure Douglas Adams was a great fit for Doctor Who. I love The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- and we see some pretty big foreshadowing of Hitchiker's in The Prison Planet -- but his material was too overtly comical for Doctor Who, I feel. I like City of Death, but that season (when Adams held the key role of script editor) veered far too far into the realms of the ridiculous.

This is interesting,i`ve never had the desire to listen to an audio episode of Doctor Who,i did listen to those Batman and Superman radio plays broadcast about 20 years ago,but i just couldn`t get into them.The strange thing is,i love musical concept albums,especially Sci-Fi/Fantasy themed ones like Jeff Wayne`s War Of The Worlds,Rush`s Hemispheres,2112 or Dutch artist Arjen Anthony Lucassen`s solo and Ayreon projects,i can sit with headphones on and totally lose myself in those works.Maybe i should try again?

Hopefully this animated version of Shada will put the story to bed as it has been revived in almost every way imaginable...well, maybe not an all singing, all dancing version on Broadway, but it's been done to death now. I quite understand why but feel enough is enough.

As for Big Finish, I could spend a fortune on their audios, but as my wife somewhat unreasonably insists we keep a roof over out heads and have something to eat every day, I am forced to ration myself. I didn't much enjoy Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy's runs on the television so I tend to skip their Big Finish adventures unless there is a sale on (check out the Big Finish website most weekends, and especially when one of the actors to have recreated their Doctor for BF is having a birthday). I find that Peter Davison's 5th Doctor has consistently good stories. Paul McGann's 8th Doctor has been fleshed out at Big Finish and he's been very gradually and subtly taken from being the happy-go-lucky version we saw in the TV movie to the Time Lord who has been ground down by the Time War in Night of the Doctor. Surprisingly, I find Tom Baker's stories a bit hit and miss. It doesn't help that often I feel as if he is playing a parody of himself as the 4th Doctor rather than really acting it. When Tom is on form though he's a joy to listen to.

Big Finish are also doing their best to bring me to financial ruin with their other ranges such as The Prisoner and Blake's 7. It's going to be hard denying myself Captain Scarlet when it starts up, but unless I win the lottery... *sigh!*

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